Location-Based Learning and Its Effect on Students’ Understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion

Location -based learning refers to place-based education conducted online with the use of geographic information systems and mobile devices; with the shift to distance learning, its integration in science education warrants careful evaluation. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of location-based learning on students’ understanding of Newton’s laws of motion and to characterize the learning outcomes. The participants were 373 eighth-grade students, divided into two groups: control (n = 167) — teacher-centered, textbook-oriented instruction — and experimental (n = 206) — student-centered, location-based learning. The study applied a quasi-experimental research design, within a framework of a mixed-methods approach, in which data were collected through pre- and post-questionnaires and the analysis of students’ learning outcomes. The findings indicated a significant positive effect for the location-based learning approach on students’ ability to generate and answer science-related questions, provide reasoned explanations, and connect scientific topics to daily life. Significant relationships were indicated between students’ ability to generate questions and their ability to provide reasoned explanations. The study points to the importance of engaging students in location-based learning and in the process of generating science-related questions, information points on a digital map, and multimedia features.